You wouldn't think that technology would have infected the primary colored world of children's TV, but even the Teletubbies have been forced to move with the times. The forthcoming remake of the stoner-favorite show sees the amorphous blobs ditch their stomach-mounted televisions for "touchscreen devices." Naturally, in the real world, it's still a square of grey felt stitched onto the costume, but characters will now interact with this tech in a way that's familiar to kids.

As part of a major initiative to get the UK into coding, the BBC is creating a new TV show based on the making of Rockstar's best-selling game series Grand Theft Auto. Not much is known about the show; the BBC simply states that a "new BBC Two drama based on Grand Theft Auto" is on its way. According to Guy Cocker, who has been working on the show, the drama will be based on the making of the game, rather than the game itself. A release date for the show hasn't been nailed down yet either, although the related "Make it Digital" campaign kicks off this fall, which may give us a clue.

Thanks to Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, the competition for kid's eyeballs is fiercer than ever, but that's not slowing down Sesame Street. Now in its 46th year, the show is making a bigger and bigger push into social media, with often hilarious (but secretly educational) results. I sat down with the show's Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, Carol Lynn-Parente, shortly after meeting my new best friend, Cookie Monster, to talk about the show's digital life and more.

Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has called the cancellation of Sony's The Interview "a stunning display of cowardice," and says he'd be glad to show it in his own theater, the Jean Cocteau Cinema in New Mexico. Like other celebrities (including George Clooney), the Game of Thrones author is critical of both the chains and Sony itself, but the comments posted to his blog are particularly pointed. He says "it's a good thing these guys weren't around when Charlie Chaplin made The Great Dictator. If Kim Jong-Un scares them, Adolf Hitler would have had them shitting in their smallclothes." He ends the post saying "come to Santa Fe, Seth [Rogen], we'll show your film for you."

Want to know what Christmas morning was like back in (not-so) old uncle Jim's day? Well if you own a Wii U, maybe this year you can. As you wipe the sleep from your eyes on December 25th and run downstairs, you'll finally be able to take the digital wraps off Duck Hunt -- as Nintendo's just confirmed that's when it will be available via Virtual Console. Finally you can pop a cap in a few majestic mallards -- just like uncle did all those years ago -- only with a Wiimote rather than a light gun (at least Nintendo didn't mention one yet). There's no word on whether you'll need to pay up for the privilege yet, either. If you are uncle/aunt Jim/Jane/whatever (like me), then perhaps instead you can show your favourite niece/nephew, exactly how it's done -- you old dog.

Not going to be home to catch the South Park season premiere this week, lack a DVR but have an Xbox One? We realize those conditions might narrow the field just a bit, but you shouldn't worry either way: the Comedy Central app is now available for Microsoft's newest gaming console. With it comes access to current shows the day after they air and a trove of past seasons and catalog programming, too. The Daily Show network notes on Xbox Wire that there's a bunch of stand-up specials and digital shorts available on the app (similar to its Xbox 360 counterpart) as well. The difference between this and Hulu Plus, of course, is that accessing the shows is free with your existing cable subscription. It's even more of a deal in the wake of Microsoft not requiring an Xbox Live Gold membership to access media apps. With enough time, the Xbox One could even start to pay for itself -- assuming you only watch Comedy Central, that is.

It was back in May that Sky announced that Now TV bundles would cost you a little more each month, but never got around to implementing the rise. Five months later, and the company has now decided that the increases (£2 for Entertainment, £1 for Movies) will begin on October 16th. In exchange for more of your moolah, the £7 Entertainment bundle will offer Nickelodeon, Nick. Jr. and ITV Encore as well as an increased number of episodes to watch on catch-up and box-set services. Meanwhile, the £10 Movies package will now get a further 200 titles, as well as access to Sky Movies Disney, which shows around 150 extra titles from the House of Mouse. Hopefully some of that cash has also gone to resolving some of those long-standing reliability issues, too.

Earlier this year, I boarded a United flight from Newark to San Diego. After passing the first few rows, a young boy turned to his mother and asked, "Why aren't there any TVs?"

"It's probably an older plane," she responded -- but that couldn't be further from the truth.

The aircraft, a 737-900 with Boeing's Sky Interior (a Dreamliner-esque recessed ceiling lit with blue LEDs), had only been flying for a few weeks. It looked new, and it even had that "new plane smell" most passengers would only associate with a factory-fresh auto. But despite the plane's clean and bright appearance, the family only noticed the glaring absence of seat-back screens. To them, our 737 might as well have rolled off the assembly line in 1984.

We knew Instagram's effort to nab a bit of Snapchat's thunder was imminent thanks to leaked promo banners, and now, the app has officially arrived... for some. Bolt, the filter-driven photo app's own ephemeral messenger has hit iTunes and Google Play for folks in Singapore, South Africa and New Zealand. The software's claim to fame is speed: instead of having to fiddle through a series of options, tapping a contact's picture both captures and sends a photo -- no further swiping required (tap and hold records video). So long as they're in your favorites list, of course. There's also an undo feature that allows you to retrieve a message in the first few seconds by shaking your phone. While Bolt doesn't require a Facebook or Instagram account, you will have to sign up with your phone number for sorting through your contacts. For now though, most of us have to find solace in just reading about it, since a select few locales are privy to the initial rollout. Instagram's word on that particular strategy is situated after the break.

AMC's cable TV channel has evolved from the home of old movies to hosting TV series, topped by Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Now, the infamous "people with knowledge of the situation" have revealed that it's working on a new subscription internet service. First reported in The Information, the rumors suggest AMC will launch websites focused on specific categories, like documentaries or horror, possibly with the help of a web video startup it's invested in called DramaFever. That's one way to go of course, instead of the "some of everything" route currently dominated by Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. A Bloomberg report says it won't host licensed shows like Mad Men (already tied up in licenses to the other services) so it's unclear exactly what content they might have to start. AMC has two video on-demand channels already, and its cable experience should serve it well in the suddenly crowded internet market. If this is as good as it gets for the traditional cable bundle -- and AMC can't increase rates for its channel -- trying its hand on the internet could be a way to grow.

Update: These sites probably won't have Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul either, but AMC just announced that while the series' premiere is delayed until 2015, it has already picked the show up for a second season.

Sure, you've read Lord of the Flies, but have you ever danced to it? Well, now you can. Researchers have created a way to digitally compose songs using the text from books. To make the jams, a computer program reads the book, applying sentiment analysis (the same thing marketers use to gauge emotions in tweets) and a special algorithm to assign notes to individual emotions. All those tones are then tied together to create a track that represents the book as a whole. The project, aptly named TransProse, is the creation of Hannah Davis from New York University and Saif Mohammad at the National Research Council Canada.

Forget Prince's "Purple Rules" demanding smartphone-free concerts, one group is actually encouraging fans to wave their handset in the air because it's part of the show. Electronic group Booka Shade recently performed a concert where the audience's phones played coordinated sound and lights via a custom app during songs, making them less of an annoyance and more an integral part of the performance.

One of the biggest concerns with Chrome OS is the fact that much of the platform relies on an internet connection to actually do what they're supposed to do. Fortunately, Google's aware of this and is working on it, one feature at a time. Today, the software giant announced that the Play Movies Chrome app will support offline movies and TV shows in the next several weeks. This feature has already been available on Android devices, so it's nice to see it expand into the Chrome OS sphere, along with continued manufacturer hardware support for the platform.

If you've invested in Sky's super-cheap Now TV box, the chances are that you've also been enjoying the company's introductory pricing it offers on its streaming packages. Sky's entertainment and movie bundles are currently priced at £4.99 and £8.99 per month respectively, but are set to rise to £6.99 and £9.99 later this month. At first glance, it looks like the broadcaster has chosen the optimum time to recoup some of the investment its made in exclusivity for shows like Game of Thrones, but the reality is a little less scandalous.

Prices were actually meant to shoot up in March, but Sky decided at the time to extend the introductory offers until May 29th. So while it appears like the Lannisters are after yet more coin ahead of the cut-off in the coming weeks, it was actually the plan all along. It's probably not the news you were hoping for as you wait to see whether Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons can conquer the seven kingdoms, but the Now TV honeymoon period originally had an earlier deadline, so you've still had better luck than Ned and family.

Update: Since the time of writing, Sky has decided to put the price hike on hold, for now at least. The note on Sky's Now TV forums doesn't offer any new timeline, but we assume it means you'll be seeing out the current series of Game of Thrones, and watching all your favourite characters die, no doubt, at the current monthly rate.

Glass has gotten a bad rep over the past few months, particularly in bars where other patrons mistakenly think Explorers are recording their every move (or they actually are). To help improve that image, Google is encouraging owners to go out on the town this Saturday night wearing their high-tech glasses. To some, a bar full of Glass wearers might sound like the Worst Saturday Night Ever, but the hope is the cyborg masses will be able to educate the public a little better than when they're flying solo. The #GlassNightOut also offers the opportunity to mix and mingle with other Explorers -- a rare experience if you're living somewhere outside of San Francisco, and probably a lot more fun than going on Field Trip by your lonesome. If you're interested in checking out one of the Meetups this weekend, hit the source link for a full list of participating cities and locations. Not a people person? Well, Google Glass might be the wingman you've been looking for.

If you thought Michael Jackson was the only musician to believe in the magical power of a glove, think again. Imogen Heap has "joined forces with the nerd underworld" to create a new high-tech glove called Mi.Mu that allows you to control sound with your hands. Using lights and motion sensors, the gloves can map a variety of hand gestures to different instruments and sounds, with each pair able to store literally thousands of combinations. It's a concept she first talked about at TED in 2011.

If you were hoping to catch the big-screen reboot of Miami Vice on Netflix, think again. NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution, which owns the rights to the film, signed a three-year deal, giving Crackle exclusive ad-supported streaming rights. Of course, some of its streaming competitors either aren't ad-supported at all (Netflix, Amazon) or are a combination of fee and ad-supported (Hulu Plus). In addition to Jamie Foxx's latest, the arrangement will bring 140 movies including Jarhead and the remake of King Kong. Don't schedule a marathon just yet, though: Films will roll out gradually over the course of the deal. Movie buffs can, however, go ahead and start popping the popcorn -- some of the first flicks from the partnership arrive on Crackle today.

Pioneer's new Networked Entertainment eXperience (NEX) line of products fill the gap between its connected AppRadio set and more traditional in-car products. Pioneer's five new NEX headunits will take advantage of your smartphone's (iPhone 4 up and compatible Android set) apps through AppRadio mode and grab your phone's data connection to improve its built in services and apps. For example, AVICSYNC Networked Navigation (only on AVIC models) will be able to reach out and get local traffic, weather, gas prices and overlay that data right on your maps. Apple's Siri Eyes Free is also on hand on all NEX receivers by simply poking the icon on the stereo's display, once activated Siri responds to your every command using the provided mic and plays back through the speakers. Other notable features include Aha Radio across the board, Pandora Station Creation, HD Radio, Sirius-XM ready and support for FLAC lossless files. The The AVIC-8000NEX ($1400 SRP), AVIC-7000NEX ($1200 SRP), AVIC-6000NEX ($900 SRP), AVIC-5000NEX ($750 SRP) and AVH-4000NEX ($700 SRP) should ship by early February. Slideshow-159574

Sky's mission to boost its roster of mobile TV content has today seen it add no fewer than 14 new entertainment channels to its Sky Go streaming service. Available on iOS and a number of Android devices, Sky Go now counts a total of 57 channels after Comedy Central, MTV, Dave, Watch, Gold, Discovery, Nat Geo, History, Alibi, Nat Geo Wild, TLC, Animal Planet, Good Food and Eden all went live earlier today. It comes just weeks after the company expanded Now TV with the launch of its contract-free Entertainment Month Pass, which moved to overlap content with the sister service. In addition to the new channels, Sky Go users can access the box-set catalog of older ABC TV on-demand shows, letting you binge-watch Grey's Anatomy a-la-Netflix when you're out and about.

My mom loves to tell the story about the first time I ever saw Star Wars.

"He was 6 years old," she tells anyone within earshot. "Barely able to see over the seat in front of him, grasping a popcorn in one hand, soda in the other. It was the only time I ever let him drink soda," she lies to assuage any doubts about her parenting abilities.

"Then the words come up, the ones that disappear into space. And the John Williams music. Joshua's mouth drops open. He then clutched the popcorn and soda and didn't touch them for the next two hours. He was lost in another world."

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Thu, 22 Aug 2013 14:00:00 -040021|20701422http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/back-to-school-guide-gaming/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/back-to-school-guide-gaming/http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/21/back-to-school-guide-gaming/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsWelcome to Engadget's back to school guide! Today we're talking gaming gear. Head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back; in early September, we'll be giving away a ton of gear, including some of the picks in our guides.

You probably shouldn't be playing video games in school, y'all. A certain back to school guide writer had his Game Boy and copy of Pokémon confiscated by a certain English professor in high school and, needless to say, it was a rough year. Thankfully, today your tablets and smartphones are often part of the educational experience -- all we had was Oregon Trail and Karateka. Oh man, Karateka! But back to the goods: head below for our back to school gaming suggestions -- if you convince your parents to pick this stuff up ahead of the first bell, perhaps seek out a career in law?

I have many interests: mountain biking, martial arts, video games, running, reading, cooking and horror movies. For each one of these, there is an internet rabbit hole so deep, so full of information and compatriots that it's a miracle I ever actually follow through on them. Ask yourself this: Do you do what you say you do online?

The internet is great at allowing people to nerd out on their particular interests. While it serves up news and media like a champ, many of us spend our time deep-diving into whatever rabbit hole interests us. When we nerd out about technology here at Engadget, for instance, we're getting a double dose: reading about technology in a tech environment. It's a beautiful thing; it's addictive and we lose sight of reality while we're going deep. We could be in a bar, at home, at the office -- wherever it is, we lose sense of our environment.

Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business, just sat down alongside Nancy Tellem, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft LA Studios, to kick off this year's rendition of D:Dive Into Media here in Dana Point, Calif. The first session of the evening is being piloted by AllThingsD's Peter Kafka, and naturally, the topic of conversation is Xbox. For starters, Mehdi affirmed that Microsoft is witnessing an unmistakable transition of the Xbox 360 "from a gaming console to an entertainment console." At present, the install base is up to 76 million (up from around 70 million at the close of September 2012), with US-based users using the console for some 87 hours per month.

In fact, he stated that 18 billion (yeah, with a "B") hours of entertainment have been consumed on Xbox, and while Netflix is obviously the driving force, it might not be that way for much longer. He was quick to claim that Sony's PlayStation 3 "isn't as good of an entertainment console" -- something he feels that "everybody knows" -- and insinuated that the next-generation Xbox will stick to "big and premium." In other words, don't expect Microsoft to kick out a $50 Roku-style content box. Mehdi wants to ensure that the future of Xbox enables voice control, interactivity, and "other stuff that's big and beautiful." Gallery-178601